Pivot points.......specific events that provide the opportunity for transformation.
Lately, much of my "free time", has been consumed with "homework". Homework like when I was in college, well OK, not that much, but on top of my more than full time job, adding more to it can quickly consume all my free time.
In the beginning of Summer in 2012, I received a letter in the mail, a letter from the church I have attended since November of 2011. It was a letter from the Senior Pastor. To summarize, every year he personally chooses (from his letter) "around 7 men to be a part of my Pacesetters group. I am looking for emerging leaders that I can invest my life into and who have a heart to lead their lives, families, and church in a Christ honoring way." Needless to say, in a church of 2,000 plus, I was humbled to be thought of. Especially since I had only been attending there for 6-7 months.
The Pacesetter group meets once a month, we are in the Word, have workbooks to go through, scripture to memorize, a book every month to read, share our testimonies, co-lead a ministry, co-lead a small group, and generally commit ourselves to grow as a leader.
Without getting into too much personal history, I have always desired this type of mentorship. And my recent history was in a church completely opposite of this new opportunity. Which made this pivot point, that much sweeter, and humbling. It was night and day difference, and extremely refreshing. The Pastor of a large church, intentional to invest in the men of church, developing leaders of both family and ministry.
On the very first night that we met, about 10 minutes in, I sat back in my chair, overwhelmed with joy, looked over at a good friend, (who came to this church the same time my family did) and let out a heavy sigh, a sigh of.....finally!!! He returned the same look to me, as we knew this was going to be an epic pivot point for the both of us, something we had both longed for.
We are about 6 months into Pacesetters, and I will be sharing a lot of what I have been reading, going through, and learning, as a result of the material from Pacesetters.
Showing posts with label ManUp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ManUp. Show all posts
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Monday, March 19, 2012
The Body of Christ
Now that I have posted some on the books that influenced the development of ManUp.....I will move on to what proved to be a big Pivot point. A study on the Body of Christ.
I was starting my second year of co-leading an adult Sunday school class. And I knew at the end of the previous year that I wanted to start the next year off with a mini series, something that would help bring this group of adults together, foster community and resemble what scripture calls for a community of believers to look like. So I had from June until September to prepare for a 3-4 week teaching on the Body of Christ.
I was beginning to truly desire to know what scripture says. I had grown up in church and just accepted "church" for what it was. Thinking all churches were basically the same, never giving much thought to it. Basically, I had no idea what scripture said about church and leadership, so as you can guess, this was going to really challenge me. I was now seeing metamorphoo in many area's of my life. Especially those that can be rethought and changed because of what I was learning in scripture. So, the Body of Christ....well, I realized I had no idea how important and intentional this should be within the leadership of the Church. Basically the Body of Christ is the people of the church.......right???? I mean, really isn't that about it?!!! Needless to say, my view's on the Body of Christ was about to experience some serious metamorphoo!!
The term "Body of Christ" is used by the Apostle Paul. He references it in different ways, depending on the focus of the passage. Two things are clear. Jesus Christ is the head, and believers are the body.
1. Eph. 1:21-22 ......and he (God) put all things under his (Jesus) feet and game him (Jesus) as head overall things to the church, which is his body.........
2. Eph 4:15. .....we are to grow up in every way into him (Jesus) who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together......
3. Eph 5:23 .......for the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.
4. 1 Cor. 12:12-21. ......now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.....
I would encourage you to look at the full context of these verses, and others that make reference to the body of Christ. But, as I have said, two things are very very clear. Jesus is the Head, believers are the body. If we can not understand that, agree with that, or live like that, well......the "body" is no longer the body it is designed to be. If the "body" does not recognize the "head" as the authority, what happens??
When Paul uses this analogy, the Holy Spirit is prompting an analogy that is absolutely perfect. Something we do not put enough thought into, and something we totally take for granted. AS LONG as it is working the way it is designed to!! I will look at two different aspects about the physical body that we see as obvious and unmistakable.
It is unmistakable when the physical body does not respond as designed to the directions from the head, and when the physical body attacks itself. They are labeled as diseases, syndromes, cancers, ....etc. Next post.....real diseases and syndromes.......both physical and spiritual.
I was starting my second year of co-leading an adult Sunday school class. And I knew at the end of the previous year that I wanted to start the next year off with a mini series, something that would help bring this group of adults together, foster community and resemble what scripture calls for a community of believers to look like. So I had from June until September to prepare for a 3-4 week teaching on the Body of Christ.
I was beginning to truly desire to know what scripture says. I had grown up in church and just accepted "church" for what it was. Thinking all churches were basically the same, never giving much thought to it. Basically, I had no idea what scripture said about church and leadership, so as you can guess, this was going to really challenge me. I was now seeing metamorphoo in many area's of my life. Especially those that can be rethought and changed because of what I was learning in scripture. So, the Body of Christ....well, I realized I had no idea how important and intentional this should be within the leadership of the Church. Basically the Body of Christ is the people of the church.......right???? I mean, really isn't that about it?!!! Needless to say, my view's on the Body of Christ was about to experience some serious metamorphoo!!
The term "Body of Christ" is used by the Apostle Paul. He references it in different ways, depending on the focus of the passage. Two things are clear. Jesus Christ is the head, and believers are the body.
1. Eph. 1:21-22 ......and he (God) put all things under his (Jesus) feet and game him (Jesus) as head overall things to the church, which is his body.........
2. Eph 4:15. .....we are to grow up in every way into him (Jesus) who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together......
3. Eph 5:23 .......for the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.
4. 1 Cor. 12:12-21. ......now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.....
I would encourage you to look at the full context of these verses, and others that make reference to the body of Christ. But, as I have said, two things are very very clear. Jesus is the Head, believers are the body. If we can not understand that, agree with that, or live like that, well......the "body" is no longer the body it is designed to be. If the "body" does not recognize the "head" as the authority, what happens??
When Paul uses this analogy, the Holy Spirit is prompting an analogy that is absolutely perfect. Something we do not put enough thought into, and something we totally take for granted. AS LONG as it is working the way it is designed to!! I will look at two different aspects about the physical body that we see as obvious and unmistakable.
It is unmistakable when the physical body does not respond as designed to the directions from the head, and when the physical body attacks itself. They are labeled as diseases, syndromes, cancers, ....etc. Next post.....real diseases and syndromes.......both physical and spiritual.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Men's Ministry
The Holy Spirit began working in me and on me in ways I would not have guessed. The more I read, the more I learned, the more convicted I became that I couldn't let this end with me. I had to share what I had been learning, but how?? And......would anyone be as excited about it as me?? That lead to the next book I needed to get. Something that would help me organize all that I was learning, and plan for how to combine multiple books and thoughts in a way that I would be able to communicate effectively. At least, I was hoping it was going to be effective!!
If you go to a "christian" book store, the smallest section is usually the men's section. And honestly, most books are not very good. Thankfully, I ended up finding a great book, "How to build a life-changing Men's Ministry" by Steve Sonderman. I do want to be clear, in no way did I envision a life changing Men's ministry!! I just wanted some help in bringing what I was learning to the men, my friends in my sunday school class.
This book was written to form a ministry team, specifically what type of men need to be sought out to lead a men's ministry. And since I was going to try a start some form of ministry, well.........I knew I needed to work on a lot, and honestly, this book almost made me not carry on. I knew I fell short in many of these area's of my life. So who was I to lead this!!?? In the end.....my friends and I were going to go through this together. I didn't consider myself the "leader", just the guy willing to get the ball rolling and see what happens!
So here are some quotes and thoughts that made me do some really heavy thinking!!
"Without a clear and concise purpose it will be very difficult for your ministry to stay on track.....you need a purpose statement for your ministry."
1. A purpose statement keeps from taking on more than you can handle
2. A purpose statement helps you make decisions.
3. A purpose statement keeps you working at your strengths.
"The guy we are aiming at has four characteristics; Integrity, Intimacy, Identity, and Influence."
"Biblical men are men of Integrity. It means to posses a genuine heart. It evidences itself in ethical soundness, moral excellence, absence of hypocrisy and a willingness to keep promises. No hidden messages. No hidden agenda's."
Integrity shows itself in 3 ways;
Integrity shows itself in convictions, men who know what they believe and act on it.
Integrity shows itself in congruence, your walk matches your talk
Integrity shows itself in character, men who are strong because they have come to grips with their brokeness and been healed.
"The second mark of a biblical man is Intimacy. .....It is a sharing of life with another--its allowing others into our heart......we want to help men develop intimacy in 3 ways...."
"The biblical man experiences Intimacy with God."
"The biblical man experiences Intimacy with his wife.
"The biblical man experiences Intimacy with other men."
Third...."The Biblical man is certain of his Identity. The biblical man is balanced and complete."
"There are four basic principles we can remind our men of......"
1. We have been created by God for God. Psalm 139:14
2. Christ loved us enough to die for us. John 3:16
3. Christ lives in me. Galatians 2:20
4. The Masculinity of Jesus is our model.
Fourth...."The Biblical man is a man of Influence."
"part of our goal is to train men to do ministry. And to train men to train other men to do ministry"
"A man of Influence see's the future........even after we die, we live on in two ways. We live on in eternity with Christ. We also live on in the lives we have influenced, the lives we have invested ourselves in."
And to sum up this section......."God wants us to build Biblical men. That's the goal of our men's ministry. If we fail to produce men of Integrity, Intimacy, Identity, and Influence, we have failed......"
So....that was just Chapter One!!!!!! But that was A.L.O.T. !! Those 4 characteristics of a Godly man......that was the core of what challenged me. The rest of the book dealt with expounding on those character qualities, and a lot more specifically about what a men's ministry can and should look like.
If you go to a "christian" book store, the smallest section is usually the men's section. And honestly, most books are not very good. Thankfully, I ended up finding a great book, "How to build a life-changing Men's Ministry" by Steve Sonderman. I do want to be clear, in no way did I envision a life changing Men's ministry!! I just wanted some help in bringing what I was learning to the men, my friends in my sunday school class.
This book was written to form a ministry team, specifically what type of men need to be sought out to lead a men's ministry. And since I was going to try a start some form of ministry, well.........I knew I needed to work on a lot, and honestly, this book almost made me not carry on. I knew I fell short in many of these area's of my life. So who was I to lead this!!?? In the end.....my friends and I were going to go through this together. I didn't consider myself the "leader", just the guy willing to get the ball rolling and see what happens!
So here are some quotes and thoughts that made me do some really heavy thinking!!
"Without a clear and concise purpose it will be very difficult for your ministry to stay on track.....you need a purpose statement for your ministry."
1. A purpose statement keeps from taking on more than you can handle
2. A purpose statement helps you make decisions.
3. A purpose statement keeps you working at your strengths.
"The guy we are aiming at has four characteristics; Integrity, Intimacy, Identity, and Influence."
"Biblical men are men of Integrity. It means to posses a genuine heart. It evidences itself in ethical soundness, moral excellence, absence of hypocrisy and a willingness to keep promises. No hidden messages. No hidden agenda's."
Integrity shows itself in 3 ways;
Integrity shows itself in convictions, men who know what they believe and act on it.
Integrity shows itself in congruence, your walk matches your talk
Integrity shows itself in character, men who are strong because they have come to grips with their brokeness and been healed.
"The second mark of a biblical man is Intimacy. .....It is a sharing of life with another--its allowing others into our heart......we want to help men develop intimacy in 3 ways...."
"The biblical man experiences Intimacy with God."
"The biblical man experiences Intimacy with his wife.
"The biblical man experiences Intimacy with other men."
Third...."The Biblical man is certain of his Identity. The biblical man is balanced and complete."
"There are four basic principles we can remind our men of......"
1. We have been created by God for God. Psalm 139:14
2. Christ loved us enough to die for us. John 3:16
3. Christ lives in me. Galatians 2:20
4. The Masculinity of Jesus is our model.
Fourth...."The Biblical man is a man of Influence."
"part of our goal is to train men to do ministry. And to train men to train other men to do ministry"
"A man of Influence see's the future........even after we die, we live on in two ways. We live on in eternity with Christ. We also live on in the lives we have influenced, the lives we have invested ourselves in."
And to sum up this section......."God wants us to build Biblical men. That's the goal of our men's ministry. If we fail to produce men of Integrity, Intimacy, Identity, and Influence, we have failed......"
So....that was just Chapter One!!!!!! But that was A.L.O.T. !! Those 4 characteristics of a Godly man......that was the core of what challenged me. The rest of the book dealt with expounding on those character qualities, and a lot more specifically about what a men's ministry can and should look like.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Real Man....Are you one???
Great question, one to which I had no idea how to answer. What is a Real Man anyway?? How do you answer a question like that? What is the standard? That's the point of the second book I read, "Real Man Are you real?", by Edwin Louis Cole.
The basic theme of this book is that Jesus Christ is the Christian man's role model. And that begins and ends with the quality of the inner being of that man. That's what makes him "real". At the very core of Jesus are the attributes of God, these are what makes Jesus who he really is. And, simply, that is why he is our model.
The following are some quotes from the first few chapters of the book. The foundational thoughts that the rest of the book was built on, similar to what a Christ following man should be built like, from the heart out! If the foundation is faulty the structure built on it will not last.
"In the case of male identity and role, the answer is found in God as He revealed Himself on earth in the manhood of Jesus Christ. Through Jesus, God showed us by example how to live as real men here on earth......the essence of real manhood is found not in how a man looks or in what a man does but in who a man is."
"Every man is limited in life by three things: 1.) the knowledge of his own mind 2.) the worth of his own character 3.) the principles upon which he builds his own life."
"The truth is, whatever a man is in private --what he believes, practices and has built into his character-- determines the actions and decisions he makes in public.......Private philosophy determines public performance."
"Life is composed of our choices, constructed by our words and actions, and revealed by our character."
"Build your character on the foundation of truth, use faithfulness as its cornerstone, making righteousness its walls, and your good character will be known by all. Good character will stand the test of time."
"Unlike the Pharisee's of Jesus' day, who substituted religion for relationship, real men recognize Truth, submit to Truth, and are discipled by Him Who is called Truth."
"Substituting relative values for absolutes in moral life can be devastating."
"In the Christian community, people substitute:
-Talent for Anointing. relying on the external rather than internal. God commits to character, not talent"
-Remorse for Repentance. Sorrow for getting caught is NOT sorrow for having sinned.
-Passion for Obedience. The evidence of love is obedience to the Word. If the Word of God does not have lordship in your life, then Christ is not Lord of your life."
These quotes alone were very convicting. All true, and all focused on the inner man, and the character of a man. The real character of a man is revealed in his choices. If the Word of God is not really the absolute truth for us in how we conduct our lives in private, it will be a matter of time before that will also be revealed in public.
"Every man has three identities to deal with:
1.) the man he wants others to think he is
2.) the man he thinks he is
3.) and the man he really is."
"the degree to which these three coincide determines the depth of real manhood and the amount of peace in one's life."
Too many men spend way to much time on their image, what they want others to think they are. As I developed ManUp, and the accountability groups, this was one of the biggest hurdles I faced. I had to been transparent and real with the men, if there was to be any hope of them being real and transparent with each other. This was a pivot point for me!! Time to dive into who I really was, what I really believed, and how that manifested itself in my choices. Yikes!! Was God really calling me to do this??!! Actually, He calls all of us to to this!!
Our testimony depends on our character.
The basic theme of this book is that Jesus Christ is the Christian man's role model. And that begins and ends with the quality of the inner being of that man. That's what makes him "real". At the very core of Jesus are the attributes of God, these are what makes Jesus who he really is. And, simply, that is why he is our model.
The following are some quotes from the first few chapters of the book. The foundational thoughts that the rest of the book was built on, similar to what a Christ following man should be built like, from the heart out! If the foundation is faulty the structure built on it will not last.
"In the case of male identity and role, the answer is found in God as He revealed Himself on earth in the manhood of Jesus Christ. Through Jesus, God showed us by example how to live as real men here on earth......the essence of real manhood is found not in how a man looks or in what a man does but in who a man is."
"Every man is limited in life by three things: 1.) the knowledge of his own mind 2.) the worth of his own character 3.) the principles upon which he builds his own life."
"The truth is, whatever a man is in private --what he believes, practices and has built into his character-- determines the actions and decisions he makes in public.......Private philosophy determines public performance."
"Life is composed of our choices, constructed by our words and actions, and revealed by our character."
"Build your character on the foundation of truth, use faithfulness as its cornerstone, making righteousness its walls, and your good character will be known by all. Good character will stand the test of time."
"Unlike the Pharisee's of Jesus' day, who substituted religion for relationship, real men recognize Truth, submit to Truth, and are discipled by Him Who is called Truth."
"Substituting relative values for absolutes in moral life can be devastating."
"In the Christian community, people substitute:
-Talent for Anointing. relying on the external rather than internal. God commits to character, not talent"
-Remorse for Repentance. Sorrow for getting caught is NOT sorrow for having sinned.
-Passion for Obedience. The evidence of love is obedience to the Word. If the Word of God does not have lordship in your life, then Christ is not Lord of your life."
These quotes alone were very convicting. All true, and all focused on the inner man, and the character of a man. The real character of a man is revealed in his choices. If the Word of God is not really the absolute truth for us in how we conduct our lives in private, it will be a matter of time before that will also be revealed in public.
"Every man has three identities to deal with:
1.) the man he wants others to think he is
2.) the man he thinks he is
3.) and the man he really is."
"the degree to which these three coincide determines the depth of real manhood and the amount of peace in one's life."
Too many men spend way to much time on their image, what they want others to think they are. As I developed ManUp, and the accountability groups, this was one of the biggest hurdles I faced. I had to been transparent and real with the men, if there was to be any hope of them being real and transparent with each other. This was a pivot point for me!! Time to dive into who I really was, what I really believed, and how that manifested itself in my choices. Yikes!! Was God really calling me to do this??!! Actually, He calls all of us to to this!!
Our testimony depends on our character.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Beat me up......bonus post.
It's a heart issue. I am adding this as a stand alone post. It is from "The Life of a God-made man". It is a simple analogy, but really made me step back and evaluate why I do what I do. On the first night of ManUp I had each man there evaluate which runner they most resemble in regards to their Christian life. Which are you??
Suppose 3 men go running 5 days a week. Suppose, further, that we ask each one why he is so dedicated to running.
Man #1 answers...."I run because my father died of a heart attack at fifty-one, and I want to live long enough to retire and to see my grandchildren grow up."
Man #2 answers...."I run so I can eat anything I want and still not gain weight. Running also makes me tired enough to sleep soundly at night."
Man #3 answers....."When I run, my legs soar over the ground, the wind brushes my face, my heart beats like slow, heavy thunder in my chest, and I feel alive."
WHY do the men run????
Man #1 runs out of fear. He is afraid of what will happen if he stops.
Man #2 runs for its benefits. He runs because it enhances the quality of his life, he eats and sleeps better.
Man #3 runs because he loves running, running is its own reward.
WHAT do they love??
Man #1 & #2 love health, and food, and sleep. Running is the instrument they use to gain what they desire.
Man #3 loves running itself.
The obedience of many Christians resembles the first 2 runners.They obey in order to avoid what they fear (hell) or to gain what they desire (friends, power, influence, title's). Only a few serve God seeking, above all else, God himself. Ideally, the man after God's own heart loves the Lord for His sake!!!
Why do you run????? If you asked someone else to evaluate you, what would they say??
Suppose 3 men go running 5 days a week. Suppose, further, that we ask each one why he is so dedicated to running.
Man #1 answers...."I run because my father died of a heart attack at fifty-one, and I want to live long enough to retire and to see my grandchildren grow up."
Man #2 answers...."I run so I can eat anything I want and still not gain weight. Running also makes me tired enough to sleep soundly at night."
Man #3 answers....."When I run, my legs soar over the ground, the wind brushes my face, my heart beats like slow, heavy thunder in my chest, and I feel alive."
WHY do the men run????
Man #1 runs out of fear. He is afraid of what will happen if he stops.
Man #2 runs for its benefits. He runs because it enhances the quality of his life, he eats and sleeps better.
Man #3 runs because he loves running, running is its own reward.
WHAT do they love??
Man #1 & #2 love health, and food, and sleep. Running is the instrument they use to gain what they desire.
Man #3 loves running itself.
The obedience of many Christians resembles the first 2 runners.They obey in order to avoid what they fear (hell) or to gain what they desire (friends, power, influence, title's). Only a few serve God seeking, above all else, God himself. Ideally, the man after God's own heart loves the Lord for His sake!!!
Why do you run????? If you asked someone else to evaluate you, what would they say??
Saturday, February 25, 2012
They Beat me up. ManUp......Books that inspired me.
I have always found it strangely fun to find conviction in something you read. Even more so when you know that you are seriously lacking in an aspect of your life. My somewhat innocent dive into reading some books regarding biblical manhood, well........really beat me up!! I am going to give some summary and quotes from the first three books that God led me to.
The first book is "The Life of a God-made Man" becoming a Man after God's Heart by Dan Doriani.
The Focus of this book is the heart of the man. The root of his being. The Man's life being about a response to God's grace, mercy, and love. Not being about following commands to earn God's favor. Seems pretty simple, and honestly things I had already believed. The difference being, really focusing on the Heart, the place that our words and actions flow from, and why I choose what I choose. What is my real motivation. This book talks about the Man and his marriage, his children, his friends, at work, as a leader in church, and at play. Basically every aspect of life, and in challenging detail. I was forced to evaluate who I was, in light of what Scripture called me to be.
"...the relentless stress on what men should do misses the most basic issue: THE HEART ISSUE. "
"Men fail to take the steps to do what they should because they don't want to take those steps. Pray regularly?? some men know that they should but fail because they have no desire to be alone with God in prayer..........Seek accountability?? Many men avoid accountability because they prefer to answer to themselves alone. They don't want to guard their eye or mind to closely. They want to indulge the eye's lusts for women and the minds fantasies of wealth and dominance."
"Men after God's heart return to the Gospel because they know they forget the Gospel........we know the Gospel, but we need to grasp it more deeply, more truly"
"To live as men after God's heart, we need more than just good advice. We need deliverance. We need God to change us.......We need God to remake us in his image."
"So the man after God's heart lives by grace, not laws; by character, not techniques; in short by the pattern of the living God."
"Friendships can degenerate into mutual admiration societies. But friends also have the capacity to cause creative discomfort......but true friends also inflict constructive misery on each other."
"Friends correct each other, and they listen when the correction comes."
"The Bible stresses character based leadership. The key text is 1 Timothy 3...........notice that Paul's list first describes the character of elder, not his work........he emphasizes the leader's character more than his skills."
"Good leaders are strongest in times of severe testing."
"You must know, love, and serve one woman, your wife, working to understand her and to use your knowledge in order to love her in every way."
"Good leaders never shirk leadership, nor use it for selfish advantage."
WOW..... That is such a super small sample of this book, and honestly it doesn't even do it justice.
This book was in my face, and gave me a Biblical perspective on Godly Manhood that I had never been exposed to previously. Given a lack of knowledge on the subject and a lack of role models, this book was a big pivot point for me. It was allowing me to grow in ways I know the Holy Spirit was prompting.
One book down.....a few more to share!!
The first book is "The Life of a God-made Man" becoming a Man after God's Heart by Dan Doriani.
The Focus of this book is the heart of the man. The root of his being. The Man's life being about a response to God's grace, mercy, and love. Not being about following commands to earn God's favor. Seems pretty simple, and honestly things I had already believed. The difference being, really focusing on the Heart, the place that our words and actions flow from, and why I choose what I choose. What is my real motivation. This book talks about the Man and his marriage, his children, his friends, at work, as a leader in church, and at play. Basically every aspect of life, and in challenging detail. I was forced to evaluate who I was, in light of what Scripture called me to be.
"...the relentless stress on what men should do misses the most basic issue: THE HEART ISSUE. "
"Men fail to take the steps to do what they should because they don't want to take those steps. Pray regularly?? some men know that they should but fail because they have no desire to be alone with God in prayer..........Seek accountability?? Many men avoid accountability because they prefer to answer to themselves alone. They don't want to guard their eye or mind to closely. They want to indulge the eye's lusts for women and the minds fantasies of wealth and dominance."
"Men after God's heart return to the Gospel because they know they forget the Gospel........we know the Gospel, but we need to grasp it more deeply, more truly"
"To live as men after God's heart, we need more than just good advice. We need deliverance. We need God to change us.......We need God to remake us in his image."
"So the man after God's heart lives by grace, not laws; by character, not techniques; in short by the pattern of the living God."
"Friendships can degenerate into mutual admiration societies. But friends also have the capacity to cause creative discomfort......but true friends also inflict constructive misery on each other."
"Friends correct each other, and they listen when the correction comes."
"The Bible stresses character based leadership. The key text is 1 Timothy 3...........notice that Paul's list first describes the character of elder, not his work........he emphasizes the leader's character more than his skills."
"Good leaders are strongest in times of severe testing."
"You must know, love, and serve one woman, your wife, working to understand her and to use your knowledge in order to love her in every way."
"Good leaders never shirk leadership, nor use it for selfish advantage."
WOW..... That is such a super small sample of this book, and honestly it doesn't even do it justice.
This book was in my face, and gave me a Biblical perspective on Godly Manhood that I had never been exposed to previously. Given a lack of knowledge on the subject and a lack of role models, this book was a big pivot point for me. It was allowing me to grow in ways I know the Holy Spirit was prompting.
One book down.....a few more to share!!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Man Up Anthem
How about a fun break! I am working on quotes from the books that led me to create Man Up. My schedule at work changed this week, I now have Sunday and Mondays off, which means I can finally be at church with my family!! That is a huge praise!! The down side is less "free time" on my work days. So I am working on the quotes, I just don't get a a lot of time to blog them!
We recently went to a Jimmy Needham/Trip Lee concert. We were familiar with Jimmy Needham but not Trip Lee. So while the boys and I were playing board games we were YouTubing Trip Lee. While doing that we ran across 116 clique. A compilation of Christian rappers who put together an album for a Men's conference. This is the Anthem song. There are two video's, the first is the official video, the second has the lyrics (mostly accurate) for those who are challenged in understanding their lyrics!!
It is ironic that it is titled Man Up, perfect for a post!! Enjoy!!
We recently went to a Jimmy Needham/Trip Lee concert. We were familiar with Jimmy Needham but not Trip Lee. So while the boys and I were playing board games we were YouTubing Trip Lee. While doing that we ran across 116 clique. A compilation of Christian rappers who put together an album for a Men's conference. This is the Anthem song. There are two video's, the first is the official video, the second has the lyrics (mostly accurate) for those who are challenged in understanding their lyrics!!
It is ironic that it is titled Man Up, perfect for a post!! Enjoy!!
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Pivot point #4..........ManUp
Over time we can look back and see how God has been working, one thing allowing another to transpire. We usually do not understand God's hand in our lives, while we are are in the middle of it. But God allows things in our lives for two reasons. (OK, there are more reasons, but I will mention two). One, to give us the opportunity to Glorify Him. And Two, to prepare us for what is to come in the future.
May of 2004, little did I know that a simple visit to a Sunday school class would lead to daily devotions, that daily devotions would lead to an accountability partner, that an accountability partner would lead to transparency, that all of those would lead to co-leading an adult Sunday school class. God was using each of these pivot points to prepare me for the next pivot point. All part of the Metamorphoo process. Taking you as you are, providing a pivot point, and being transformed into something new. Well, to be clear, just because there is a pivot point doesn't mean that you will take advantage of it. Obviously we can make extremely poor decisions. When we allow ourselves to ignore the Holy Spirit, and follow our own desires over our character and testimony, well, metamorphoo is being stopped by us. That is another post for a later date!
So, what was God preparing me for? God was using this time to prepare me for the aspect of ministry that I needed the most, and that would provide the toughest personal challenge. I was a Christian, a husband, a father, a friend, an employee, a son, a brother, a brother in law.....etc. Despite the fact that I knew which role I was in, I wouldn't say that I fulfilled or even knew how to fulfill the most important roles. God was working on me, showing me clearly that I didn't know my biblical role very well. I never had a Godly man in my life to lead me, or mentor me. Too many people believe that you just throw open the Bible and figure it out. I didn't find it to be that simple. So, along with Scripture, I started to buy books geared towards men. Leading them towards Godliness. I have never been a real avid reader. Usually forgetting what I just read fairly quickly. So it was quite an adventure trying to sort through the "christian" books that I needed and was looking for. I found a few that really began to challenge me. So much so that it turned into a ministry!!
Pivot point #4.....ManUp. The Holy Spirit was really pressing me. I was reading books that had more in them highlighted than not! It took about 5 months of the Holy Spirit pounding on me before I gave in and advertised a new ministry for the Men of our adult Sunday school class. ManUp. I knew I wasn't a veteran of a Godly life, and didn't even really think anyone would show up. After all, who I am to lead something like this!! ManUp was advertised for about a month. I didn't ask anyone if they were going, other than my two accountability partners. I didn't want to know!
ManUp was about the heart and character of a man. It was about knowing and understanding our God given roles. It was about accountability with other men, who have the same calling.
I had my power point all ready to go. I couldn't eat a thing. I was barely sleeping. I spent a lot of time in prayer, giving over to the Holy Spirit the whole ministry.
I showed up an hour early, set up my laptop and projector, and I set up 8 chairs. I figured that out of a possible 40 guys maybe 1 out of 5 would come. After all, this was accountability we were talking about!! Men are not exactly beating down the doors for that!
ManUp started at 7:00 pm. At 6:45 I was still by myself. By 6:50 my accountability partners were there. So there were 3 of us. By 6:55 there were some guys coming in one by one. Now there were 8. All the "chairs" were full. By 7:00pm, there were 25 guys there. Yikes!! There ended up being 27 men there!! A huge testimony to need of this ministry, and the readiness for these men to go deeper with Christ. For the first year of ManUp there were 22 regular guys in attendance and in accountability groups. The second year averaged about 20. It was a huge challenge for me, and it proved to be a huge challenge for the men. Some fairing better than others. It was a great pivot point for me. In obedience to what God was calling me to. Do I answer the call, or ignore it? My Biblical convictions grew leaps and bounds from where they were before.
Next post.......Books that lead to ManUp. I was just going to list the books, but after skimming them quickly, I was reminded of why they weighed so heavy on me, and why I was lead to start ManUp. So....next post will be the books I read, and some of my favorite quotes from them. And the basic theme of each book, along with how they beat me up! (in a good way)
May of 2004, little did I know that a simple visit to a Sunday school class would lead to daily devotions, that daily devotions would lead to an accountability partner, that an accountability partner would lead to transparency, that all of those would lead to co-leading an adult Sunday school class. God was using each of these pivot points to prepare me for the next pivot point. All part of the Metamorphoo process. Taking you as you are, providing a pivot point, and being transformed into something new. Well, to be clear, just because there is a pivot point doesn't mean that you will take advantage of it. Obviously we can make extremely poor decisions. When we allow ourselves to ignore the Holy Spirit, and follow our own desires over our character and testimony, well, metamorphoo is being stopped by us. That is another post for a later date!
So, what was God preparing me for? God was using this time to prepare me for the aspect of ministry that I needed the most, and that would provide the toughest personal challenge. I was a Christian, a husband, a father, a friend, an employee, a son, a brother, a brother in law.....etc. Despite the fact that I knew which role I was in, I wouldn't say that I fulfilled or even knew how to fulfill the most important roles. God was working on me, showing me clearly that I didn't know my biblical role very well. I never had a Godly man in my life to lead me, or mentor me. Too many people believe that you just throw open the Bible and figure it out. I didn't find it to be that simple. So, along with Scripture, I started to buy books geared towards men. Leading them towards Godliness. I have never been a real avid reader. Usually forgetting what I just read fairly quickly. So it was quite an adventure trying to sort through the "christian" books that I needed and was looking for. I found a few that really began to challenge me. So much so that it turned into a ministry!!
Pivot point #4.....ManUp. The Holy Spirit was really pressing me. I was reading books that had more in them highlighted than not! It took about 5 months of the Holy Spirit pounding on me before I gave in and advertised a new ministry for the Men of our adult Sunday school class. ManUp. I knew I wasn't a veteran of a Godly life, and didn't even really think anyone would show up. After all, who I am to lead something like this!! ManUp was advertised for about a month. I didn't ask anyone if they were going, other than my two accountability partners. I didn't want to know!
ManUp was about the heart and character of a man. It was about knowing and understanding our God given roles. It was about accountability with other men, who have the same calling.
I had my power point all ready to go. I couldn't eat a thing. I was barely sleeping. I spent a lot of time in prayer, giving over to the Holy Spirit the whole ministry.
I showed up an hour early, set up my laptop and projector, and I set up 8 chairs. I figured that out of a possible 40 guys maybe 1 out of 5 would come. After all, this was accountability we were talking about!! Men are not exactly beating down the doors for that!
ManUp started at 7:00 pm. At 6:45 I was still by myself. By 6:50 my accountability partners were there. So there were 3 of us. By 6:55 there were some guys coming in one by one. Now there were 8. All the "chairs" were full. By 7:00pm, there were 25 guys there. Yikes!! There ended up being 27 men there!! A huge testimony to need of this ministry, and the readiness for these men to go deeper with Christ. For the first year of ManUp there were 22 regular guys in attendance and in accountability groups. The second year averaged about 20. It was a huge challenge for me, and it proved to be a huge challenge for the men. Some fairing better than others. It was a great pivot point for me. In obedience to what God was calling me to. Do I answer the call, or ignore it? My Biblical convictions grew leaps and bounds from where they were before.
Next post.......Books that lead to ManUp. I was just going to list the books, but after skimming them quickly, I was reminded of why they weighed so heavy on me, and why I was lead to start ManUp. So....next post will be the books I read, and some of my favorite quotes from them. And the basic theme of each book, along with how they beat me up! (in a good way)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)